Storm
by Anya M
Summary: Sometimes, nights are hot and dark. And storm is howling. (OC)


**_Storm_**

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_Please, remember I'm not an English native speaker. If you see any mistake or a better way to say things, don't hesitate to mention it. Thank you ~_

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Anxiety. That good old friend. MiM, hadn't she missed it. It had crept more and more, on her skin, in her veins, gaining ground on her spirits and soul. She grew weaker witch each blast and they had been closer and closer these past few days. Then, calm. Lull before the storm.

"Isn't it beautiful ?"

Her voice was stronger than usual. Wind was howling outside, throwing hail at their windows, lightning was incessant, coloring the night sky in white, spreading shadows on every corner of the streets. Jack was not at ease, but the girl didn't seem to notice, standing up, facing the pane, eyes lost in the storm.

"We've been waiting for that for a week !"

It was hot. The kind of hot which was bearable, but warm enough to spend long, restless nights. And with less sleep came more thinking. With more thinking, came more questions. With more questions, came more trouble, opening her mind to darker thoughts. To nightmares. She hadn't told him, but the Guardian could feel it, could feel them, crawling under her eyelids and whispering to her ears.

Pitch was getting stronger. Even if he fought him back, the Nightmare King's powers had already done their worst. If only she could have cried to let it all out.

"El'-

- It's so bright."

Thunder. She was afraid of it and shivered at the deafened rolling sounds. It brought goose bumps to her skin, but her smile would not fade. Jack was worried ; no sun in that careless grin. She was laughing in the face of her fear and he should have been pleased about it, but something was wrong. So wrong.

"Please, El'-

- Look at it, Jack !"

And he did.

And the thunder cracked.

And the lightning stroke.

And a shadow grew in the moonlight.

Tall. Dark. Smirking.

The boy grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Brows furrowed, he stared at the outside, holding her close. Gone. It had barely lasted a second, but he saw him. He saw his golden eyes and his predatory smile, waiting for fear to settle in. Darkness was spreading.

"El', are you alright ?"

She didn't reply and clenched his hoodie. She muffled a whimper in the fabric when thunder roared anew. Jack could hear his own anguish uttering words at him.

It was so loud outside and she was so silent, yet he could perceive the thoughts, slowly reaching out to his brain, chanting "You're gonna lose her… You're gonna lose her… Eventually… Eventually… There's nothing you can do… There's nothing you can do…" and it took her trembles to get him back to his senses.

She was going through the same wreck, the sound of the storm increasing her fears. Of doing wrong. Of being a bad person. Of failure. Of time. Of losing herself. Of losing him.

There was nothing to do.

"El', listen to me !"

His voice seemed so low, so distant in all this mess. She was whimpering with each heaving breath. He planted his eyes on hers, holding her face close and her body closer.

"You have to fight it ! It's not real ! He's messing with your mind ! Pitch-

- Is right."

The boy clenched his teeth together. Hatred ran in his body, tensing up every fiber of his being.

"It's over. There's nothing I can do. I-

- No ! He's wrong ! He knows nothing. El', please, please, pl-

- Don't you see it's the beginning of the end !?"

Thunder. Lightning. Pain. It was so deafening and aching.

"I'm- I'm growing old !"

Pitch indeed knew how to find their deepest fears.

But Jack knew her even better.

"And don't I have a saying in all this ?"

At that moment, she looked at him. Her irises moved on his face and her fingers reached for his.

"Believe in us, El'. That's all it takes."

Jack was almost shouting. There was practically no pause between each thunder blow. He couldn't let her fall back in the dark.

"I have you, you have me, remember ?"

Howling. Her body pressing against his as the storm was sucked out of the room, bringing the shadows with it, leaving them panting and exhausted.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

She kept apologizing to his shoulder, her back shaking, her lips quivering. Doubt was an awful thing and she had let it take over. How long would he keep saving her this way ?

"I'm sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have-

Pitch shouldn't have."

- Elnöra had a pause, wrapped her arms around his bust as he leant on the wall. The boogeyman always chose his moments with care.

"I guess he's jealous. You're so amazing he wants you all for himself."

She edged closer for only answer. The girl would be okay, but she needed time. He would have offered them all the time of the worlds, if only…

"It's okay, El'. I'm right here.

- I know.

- You're holding me tight.

- I know. Sorry.

- It's alright."

He kissed at the skin within reach and rubbed her back while humming low soothing sounds.

There was such a long way to go.

"I'll never let him hurt you, you know that ?

- Yeah… Jack ?

- Hm ?

- Punch him for me, next time ?"

He smiled and promised himself so many things.

"Of course."

Such a long way.

And more than one life ahead.

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20/06/14.


End file.
